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Drive-By-Truckers Deliver 12th Album!
English Oceans, the 12th release by Athens, Georgias Drive-By Truckers, is an elegantly balanced and deeply engaged effort that finds the group refreshed and firing on all cylinders.
All but one of the collections 13 new songs, written by singer-guitarists and co-founding members Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, were recorded during 13 days of sessions in August 2013 with longtime producer David Barbe.
Six of the songs were the result of a burst of writing activity by Cooley.
I had time to write, Cooley says. After we came off the road last time, we decided we were going to let it rest for a while. So I had time to really focus. I kind of had to re-learn how to write, because I didnt write as many songs as Id wanted on the last couple of records. I was happy with these songs, and thrilled to go in and record so many that I felt real strongly about.
Hood notes, "I dont think weve ever had a record where Cooley was as deeply involved in every aspect of the making of it as he was this time. With Cooleys writing, theres almost no precedent for it in our catalog. He came in with this stunning bunch of songs, full of this beautiful imagery."
Writing independently, Cooley and Hood penned songs that dovetailed brilliantly with each other. Hood says, "Every song on this record connects with another song. I noticed Cooleys got a line in Primer Coat about apron strings, and I have the exact same image in one of my songs, Hanging On. It goes on and on and on like that on this record, and thats a pretty good sign for things, particularly given how different our temperaments are and our styles of writing are."
Cooley and Hoods brace of character - based songs depict a neatly interlocking gallery of relationships, often in dissolution and discord. The last song written and recorded for the album, Hoods rave-up Pauline Hawkins, was based on a new novel by Willy Vlautin and penned after another of his compositions was scrapped.
Hood says, "There was such a balance between Cooleys songs and my songs that taking a song off the record would upset the balance a little bit. I liked the back-and-forth flow, like our shows tend to do. I got an advance copy of Willys latest book, The Free. Ive been a fan of his writing for a while. I read it in about three days. I finished it on Saturday, I wrote the song on Sunday, and then we cut it on Thursday and mastered the record on the following Monday. It sure makes it a better record."
DBTs ever-keen political edge can be seen in two songs on the release. Cooleys Made Up English Oceans derives from his interest in the career of Lee Atwater, the Republican operative who was active in the Reagan and Bush campaigns of the 80s. He was the guy that Karl Rove and all of the modern dirty tricksters looked to he was one of the granddaddies of it all. That song is from his point of view, fictionally of course. Its him making his pitch, telling what he understands about young, Southern men.
Hood says The Part of Him was inspired by the procession of scandals that plague the political world year after year. "Its about political assholery -- theres someone new playing that role every few months, he says. As soon as we get rid of one of them, someone comes up and starts playing that part again."
Reflecting the renewed high level of collaboration between the bands two principals, English Oceans marks an unprecedented event: the recording of a Hood song, Til Hes Dead or Rises, with Cooley assuming the lead vocal.
Cooley says, I remember Patterson was getting frustrated trying to sing it. He was doing fine, but it seemed like there was something he wanted to do that wasnt coming. I was in the control room thinking, I could probably sing this -- though it wasnt like I was saying, Oh, I can sing this a lot better than that. I was thinking, This sounds like something I could sing. Right after that, he walks into the control room and says, You want to trying singing this? It sounds more like you than me. I said, Yeah, I was just thinking that.
The album was recorded with a compact, retooled lineup. Jay Gonzalez, who joined the band in 2008 as keyboardist, stepped into an expanded role by adding guitar to his duties, while bassist Matt Patton was drafted from the Tuscaloosa group The Dexateens. The unit was road-tested during dates in 2013.
Cooley says, "This lineup is so direct. It can go from this chainsaw rock n roll to very delicate, pretty-sounding stuff. We wrote a lot of those kinds of songs, and this lineup got all of that well."
Looking at the accomplishments of English Oceans from the perspective of DBTs nearly three-decade history, both Cooley and Hood decline to hedge their bets on the quality of their latest work.
Youre always hesitant to say, Oh, this is the best record weve ever made, Cooley says, because you always want to. And sometimes you say it, and sometimes youre right, and sometimes you think, Well, maybe I jumped the gun on that a little bit, I got excited. But I think this just might be the best record weve ever made.
Hood concurs enthusiastically: Its my favorite thing that weve ever done. Im proud of our catalog we always try to make as good a record as we can make. Sometimes things just work. This time, we made kind of a magical record. Ive always felt that Decoration Day was our best record, and this is the first one that I think is a better record than that was. Every piece of the puzzle fit"
"The greatest extant American rock and roll band." -Stereogum
Features:
Double Vinyl
Includes album download
Musicians:
Mike Cooley, vocals, guitar, banjo
Patterson Hood, vocals, guitar
Matt Patton, vocals, bass
Jay Gonzalez, vocals, piano, guitar
Brad Morgan, drums, percussion
Selections:
1. Shit Shots Count
2. When He's Gone
3. Primer Coat
4. Pauline Hawkins
5. Made Up English Oceans
6. The Part of Him
7. Hearing Jimmy Loud
8. Til He's Dead or Rises
9. Hanging On
10. Natural Light
11. When Walter Went Crazy
12. First Air of Autumn
13. Grand Canyon
Drive-By-Truckers Deliver 12th Album!
English Oceans, the 12th release by Athens, Georgias Drive-By Truckers, is an elegantly balanced and deeply engaged effort that finds the group refreshed and firing on all cylinders.
All but one of the collections 13 new songs, written by singer-guitarists and co-founding members Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, were recorded during 13 days of sessions in August 2013 with longtime producer David Barbe.
Six of the songs were the result of a burst of writing activity by Cooley.
I had time to write, Cooley says. After we came off the road last time, we decided we were going to let it rest for a while. So I had time to really focus. I kind of had to re-learn how to write, because I didnt write as many songs as Id wanted on the last couple of records. I was happy with these songs, and thrilled to go in and record so many that I felt real strongly about.
Hood notes, "I dont think weve ever had a record where Cooley was as deeply involved in every aspect of the making of it as he was this time. With Cooleys writing, theres almost no precedent for it in our catalog. He came in with this stunning bunch of songs, full of this beautiful imagery."
Writing independently, Cooley and Hood penned songs that dovetailed brilliantly with each other. Hood says, "Every song on this record connects with another song. I noticed Cooleys got a line in Primer Coat about apron strings, and I have the exact same image in one of my songs, Hanging On. It goes on and on and on like that on this record, and thats a pretty good sign for things, particularly given how different our temperaments are and our styles of writing are."
Cooley and Hoods brace of character - based songs depict a neatly interlocking gallery of relationships, often in dissolution and discord. The last song written and recorded for the album, Hoods rave-up Pauline Hawkins, was based on a new novel by Willy Vlautin and penned after another of his compositions was scrapped.
Hood says, "There was such a balance between Cooleys songs and my songs that taking a song off the record would upset the balance a little bit. I liked the back-and-forth flow, like our shows tend to do. I got an advance copy of Willys latest book, The Free. Ive been a fan of his writing for a while. I read it in about three days. I finished it on Saturday, I wrote the song on Sunday, and then we cut it on Thursday and mastered the record on the following Monday. It sure makes it a better record."
DBTs ever-keen political edge can be seen in two songs on the release. Cooleys Made Up English Oceans derives from his interest in the career of Lee Atwater, the Republican operative who was active in the Reagan and Bush campaigns of the 80s. He was the guy that Karl Rove and all of the modern dirty tricksters looked to he was one of the granddaddies of it all. That song is from his point of view, fictionally of course. Its him making his pitch, telling what he understands about young, Southern men.
Hood says The Part of Him was inspired by the procession of scandals that plague the political world year after year. "Its about political assholery -- theres someone new playing that role every few months, he says. As soon as we get rid of one of them, someone comes up and starts playing that part again."
Reflecting the renewed high level of collaboration between the bands two principals, English Oceans marks an unprecedented event: the recording of a Hood song, Til Hes Dead or Rises, with Cooley assuming the lead vocal.
Cooley says, I remember Patterson was getting frustrated trying to sing it. He was doing fine, but it seemed like there was something he wanted to do that wasnt coming. I was in the control room thinking, I could probably sing this -- though it wasnt like I was saying, Oh, I can sing this a lot better than that. I was thinking, This sounds like something I could sing. Right after that, he walks into the control room and says, You want to trying singing this? It sounds more like you than me. I said, Yeah, I was just thinking that.
The album was recorded with a compact, retooled lineup. Jay Gonzalez, who joined the band in 2008 as keyboardist, stepped into an expanded role by adding guitar to his duties, while bassist Matt Patton was drafted from the Tuscaloosa group The Dexateens. The unit was road-tested during dates in 2013.
Cooley says, "This lineup is so direct. It can go from this chainsaw rock n roll to very delicate, pretty-sounding stuff. We wrote a lot of those kinds of songs, and this lineup got all of that well."
Looking at the accomplishments of English Oceans from the perspective of DBTs nearly three-decade history, both Cooley and Hood decline to hedge their bets on the quality of their latest work.
Youre always hesitant to say, Oh, this is the best record weve ever made, Cooley says, because you always want to. And sometimes you say it, and sometimes youre right, and sometimes you think, Well, maybe I jumped the gun on that a little bit, I got excited. But I think this just might be the best record weve ever made.
Hood concurs enthusiastically: Its my favorite thing that weve ever done. Im proud of our catalog we always try to make as good a record as we can make. Sometimes things just work. This time, we made kind of a magical record. Ive always felt that Decoration Day was our best record, and this is the first one that I think is a better record than that was. Every piece of the puzzle fit"
"The greatest extant American rock and roll band." -Stereogum
Features:
Double Vinyl
Includes album download
Musicians:
Mike Cooley, vocals, guitar, banjo
Patterson Hood, vocals, guitar
Matt Patton, vocals, bass
Jay Gonzalez, vocals, piano, guitar
Brad Morgan, drums, percussion
Selections:
1. Shit Shots Count
2. When He's Gone
3. Primer Coat
4. Pauline Hawkins
5. Made Up English Oceans
6. The Part of Him
7. Hearing Jimmy Loud
8. Til He's Dead or Rises
9. Hanging On
10. Natural Light
11. When Walter Went Crazy
12. First Air of Autumn
13. Grand Canyon
